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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said they are “delighted” after the Sussexes announced the birth of their baby daughter – Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Prince Harry and Meghan announced that the infant, a first sibling for Archie, was born on Friday in California.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother the Queen – who was affectionately nicknamed Lilibet by her family – and her grandmother, the late Princess Diana.

William and Kate tweeted late on Sunday to say they were “delighted” with the “happy news”.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

A statement from the couple’s press secretary said that she was born at 11.40am on Friday “in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California”.

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Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. Pic: Google Street View
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Lili was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. Pic: Google Street View

She weighed 7lbs 11oz (3.5kg) and her and Meghan are said to be “healthy and well, and settling in at home”.

Harry and Meghan, who live in Montecito, said on their Archewell website: “On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

“She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

File photo dated 25/09/2019 of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa. Meghan and Harry will celebrate the second birthday of their son, who helped inspire his mother???s new picture book. Issue date: Thursday May 6, 2021.
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Lili is a first sibling for Archie, pictured here with his parents in 2019

The new baby is the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild and the first of the Queen’s great-grandchildren to be born outside the UK.

Lilibet was first used when Princess Elizabeth was a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly.

Her grandfather, King George V, would affectionately call her ‘Lilibet’ imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth.

The nickname stuck and from then on she became Lilibet to her family.

Prince Philip also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother-in-law after their wedding: “Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me.”

Lili’s birth comes three months after her parents gave a controversial interview to Oprah Winfrey about their treatment from the media and the Royal Family.

Lili will be entitled to be a princess and Archie a prince – both with HRH styles – when the Queen dies and Prince Charles becomes king.

This is because they will have moved up the line of succession to become the children of a son of a monarch.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, Lili is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in London in January 2020. Pic: AP
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in London in January 2020. Pic: AP

Analysis: The chosen name shows family still matters
By Rhiannon Mills, royal correspondent

For almost 48 hours, they kept the news from the world.

Time for Prince Harry and Meghan to take it all in, and get to know their little girl.

It couldn’t be more different from the royal way, where we’re used to hearing within hours about the new arrival.

When their son Archie was born in 2019, they were already protective of how the announcement was made.

They did not go with the usual protocol and have a big photocall to present their baby to the world.

However this time, now outside of the royal fold, they have been able to completely control the news how they wanted.

But don’t forget since moving away they have worked hard to set themselves up as a global brand, and that means a global spotlight on their personal lives.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex pose for a picture with some of Queen's Young Leaders at a Buckingham Palace reception following the final Queen's Young Leaders Awards Ceremony 2018
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Both Harry and Meghan have spoken warmly about Her Majesty during interviews

If you couple that with the fact that this is the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild, and her first to be born outside of the UK, the international interest in this child is still going to be huge.

The names they’ve given the little girl also stand out.

To be fair, they often do when the Windsors welcome a new arrival, as we try to dissect why certain names have been chosen.

But their daughter has been given names with the most royal connections.

In previous years that wouldn’t necessarily be surprising, but now they do stand out after Harry and Meghan’s decision to step away from royal life, and their very public disagreements with other members of the Royal Family.

The choice of Lilibet, the Queen’s nickname, is in some ways an unexpected choice but a sign that family still matters despite everything that has been said.

Both Harry and Meghan have spoken warmly about Her Majesty during interviews, despite being critical of the family and the institution that she leads.

Princess Diana with Prince William and Prince Harry in 1995
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Princess Diana with Prince William and Prince Harry in 1995

Yes, in recent weeks, Harry has again been very open about how much his mother meant to him during interviews and his response to the scandal around Diana’s 1996 appearance on Panorama.

In many ways it was inevitable and a loving tribute from her son that he would want to include Diana as his daughter’s middle name.

It’s also worth remembering that Prince William’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, also has Diana and Elizabeth as her middle names.

In many ways this baby girl, born in California, will have a very different upbringing from her cousin.

But as the Queen has always said in statements, the Sussexes are much loved members of the family, and in her names Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor will forever be very much part of the Windsor dynasty.

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Deadly Texas floods: What were the warnings?

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Deadly Texas floods: What were the warnings?

Questions have been raised over extreme weather warnings in Texas, after heavy rain caused fatal flash floods along the Guadalupe River.

At least 51 people have died from the flooding in Texas, with an unknown number of people – including 27 girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County – still missing.

As rescue teams continue to search for the missing, local and federal officials have come under fire over their flood preparations and about why those along the river weren’t warned of the risks sooner.

A map showing the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, which burst from heavy rain and caused flash flooding
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A map showing the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, which burst from heavy rain and caused flash flooding

Campers from Camp Waldemar embrace after arriving at a reunification area. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
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Campers embrace at a reunification area. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP

What happened?

As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time.

Homes and vehicles were swept away by the downpour – equivalent to months’ worth of rain – while 27 girls staying at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, went missing when the fast-rising floodwaters hit.

The death toll stands at:
• At least 43 people, including 15 children and 28 adults, in Kerr County,
• One person in Kendall County,
• At least four people in Travis County,
• At least two in Burnet County,
• And one person in the city of San Angelo.

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House sweeps away in flash floods

What flood warnings were there?

Private forecasting company AccuWeather said it and the National Weather Service (NWS) sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before it began, urging people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas.

The NWS also issued flash flood emergencies – a rare alert notifying of imminent danger – at 4.23am local time.

In a statement, AccuWeather said that “these warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety”.

It also called Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.

However, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management Nim Kidd said that one NWS forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain.

“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

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Texas searches for missing children

Were they enough?

Locals have told various news agencies that while there had been phone alerts late into the night, forecasts headed into Friday evening did not predict the extreme conditions.

Christopher Flowers, who was staying at a friend’s house along the river when the flooding started, told the Reuters news agency: “What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now.”

Kerrville resident Darryl Huffman told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that he did not believe the storm would pose such danger before its arrival.

“I looked out the window and it was barely sprinkling outside,” he said, “so I had no indication that the river was going to be right outside my driveway”.

People climb over debris on a bridge atop the Guadalupe River after a flash flood. Pic: AP
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People climb over debris on a bridge atop the Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas. Pic: AP

A Sheriff's deputy pauses while searching for the missing in Hunt, Texas.Pic: AP/Julio Cortez
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A Sheriff’s deputy pauses while searching for the missing in Hunt, Texas. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez

Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said it appeared evacuations and other proactive measures could have been undertaken to reduce the risk of fatalities.

He said in a statement: “People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast.”

Separately, the NWS’s union told NBC News the agency’s offices in central Texas were well-staffed and had issued timely warnings, “giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met”.

What have officials said?

Local and federal officials have said they had not expected such an intense downpour of rain and insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official, said: “We know we get rain. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming.”

“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,” he said, adding: “We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”

Mr Kelly separately noted that while the county considered a flood warning system along the river that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, “the public reeled at the cost”.

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At a news conference with the Texas governor, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said on Saturday that “everybody knows that the weather is extremely difficult to predict” before saying “we have all wanted more time and more warning and more alerts and more notification” from the NWS.

She said a “moderate” flood watch issued on Thursday by the NWS had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade their technology.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott give a briefing on the flash floods in Texas. Pic: AP
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Kristi Noem and Texas governor Greg Abbott give a news briefing. Pic: AP

Will forecasting get better?

While Ms Noem said technology for the NWS would be upgraded, the White House has previously been criticised after Donald Trump‘s administration ordered 800 job cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – the parent organisation of the NWS.

A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress.

Professor Costa Samaras, who worked on energy policy at the White House under President Joe Biden, said NOAA had been in the middle of developing new flood maps for neighbourhoods and that cuts to NOAA were “devastating”.

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At least 51 people killed in Texas flooding as authorities face scrutiny over response

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At least 51 people killed in Texas flooding as authorities face scrutiny over response

At least 51 people have died after heavy rain caused flash flooding, with water bursting from the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas.

The overflowing water began sweeping into Kerr County and other areas around 4am local time on Friday, killing at least 43 people in the county.

This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference.

In nearby Kendall County, one person has died. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. Another person has died in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County.

People comfort each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
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People comfort each other in Kerrville, Texas. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP

People stand near debris following flash flooding, in Kerrville, Texas, U.S. July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello
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Large piles of debris in Kerrville, Texas, following the flooding. Pic: Reuters//Marco Bello

More than 700 children were staying at Camp Mystic

An unknown number of people remain missing, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River.

Rescuers have already saved hundreds of people and would work around the clock to find those still unaccounted for, Texas governor Greg Abbott said.

But as rescue teams are searching for the missing, Texas officials are facing scrutiny over their preparations and why residents and summer camps for children that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate.

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AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service (NWS) sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation, urging people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas.

People look at debris on the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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Debris on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt. Pic: AP Photo/Julio Cortez

An overturned vehicle is caught in debris along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood struck the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville,
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An overturned vehicle is caught in debris along the Guadalupe River. Pic: AP

The NWS later issued flash flood emergencies – a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather said in a statement that called Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.

But one NWS forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.”It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

Officials said they had not expected such an intense downpour of rain, equivalent to months’ worth in a few short hours, insisting that no one saw the flood potential coming.

One river near Camp Mystic rose 22ft in two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the NWS’s Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29.5ft.

A wall is missing on a building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez
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A wall is missing on a building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez

Bedding items are seen outside sleeping quarters at Camp Mystic. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez
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Bedding items are seen outside sleeping quarters at Camp Mystic. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez

A Sheriff's deputy pauses while searching for the missing in Hunt, Texas.Pic: AP/Julio Cortez
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A Sheriff’s deputy pauses while searching for the missing in Hunt, Texas.Pic: AP/Julio Cortez

“People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast,” Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said in a statement.

“We know we get rain. We know the river rises,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official. “But nobody saw this coming.”

Judge Kelly said the county considered a flood warning system along the Guadalupe River that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, before he was elected, but that the idea never got off the ground because “the public reeled at the cost”.

Pic: Reuters
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A drone view of Comfort, Texas. Pic: Reuters

Officials comb through the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez
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Officials comb through the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. Pic: AP/Julio Cortez

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked during a news conference on Saturday whether the flash flood warnings came through quickly enough: “We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long.”

Presidential cuts to climate and weather organisations have also been criticised in the wake of the floods after Donald Trump‘s administration ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the NWS, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods.

A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress.

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Professor Costa Samaras, who worked on energy policy at the White House under President Joe Biden, said NOAA had been in the middle of developing new flood maps for neighbourhoods and that cuts to NOAA were “devastating”.

“Accurate weather forecasts matter. FEMA and NOAA matter. Because little girls’ lives matter,” said Frank Figliuzzi, a national security and intelligence analyst at Sky’s US partner organisation NBC News.

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Elon Musk says he’s created his own political party – the ‘America Party’

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Elon Musk says he's created his own political party - the 'America Party'

Elon Musk says he has created a new political party – the America Party –
after asking his followers if he should do so in an online poll.

It follows his public falling out with Republican President Donald Trump.

On Friday, the billionaire had asked his followers on X whether a new US political party should be created.

On Saturday evening he wrote on the same platform: “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.

“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

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Trump threatens to ‘put DOGE’ on Musk

The world’s richest man made the announcement just one day after President Trump signed a tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday, which Musk had fiercely opposed.

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Musk had previously said we would form and fund a new political party to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill.

From bromance to bust-up

The Tesla boss backed Trump’s election campaign with more than a quarter of a billion dollars, later rewarded with a high profile role running the newly created department of government efficiency (DOGE).

But observers of the two men, both with huge wealth and reputations, wondered how long the bromance would last.

Elon Musk receives a golden key from U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump gave Musk a warm send-off in the Oval Office in May. Pic: Reuters

In May Musk left the role, still on good terms with Trump but criticising key parts of his legislative agenda.

After that, the attacks ramped up, with Musk slamming the sweeping tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination” and Trump hitting back in a barbed tit-for-tat.

Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billion-dollar federal subsidies that flow to Musk’s companies, and said he would even consider deporting him.

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